Shoe form



A. G. LEGGE March 15, 1932.

SHOE FORM Filed Nov. 1, 1929 fltforneys Patented Man 15.1932 v i I r UN TE STATES ALFRED G- .orBnooKTon /rAssAcnusnrrs Y 1 I snonronilr'" Application filed November Serialv NO 404,052;

This invention relates'toshoe forms for vention. is not limited in its application-to] insertion in shoes to maintain their shape the details of construction and" arrangement Such forms are commonly shaped over a of parts illustrated in the accompanying last conforming substantiallyto the last upon drawings, since the invention is capable of 5 which the shoe is lasted butbeing'generally other embodiments and of. being practised 155 smaller an amount equal to the thicknessof or carried out in various ways; .Also it is to the material from which the shoe form is be understood that the'phra'se'ology or termmade- As a result, these forms are suitable inol'ogy employedherein'is' for the purpose only for use Withshoes of the particular of description and .not of limitation, and it '1 shape for which they were made, and if used is not intended tolimit the'invention beyond 60 in shoes of other shapes or sizes will not fit the terms of the claim hereto; appended as snugly against the soles of the shoes. considered in view o' f-fthe prior art andthe It is an object of the present invention to requirements thereof. a I "I provide a shoe form which is capable of alhe invention willbe more clearly-undermore universal application by being adaptstood from the following description inconed for use with a relatively large variety'of junctionwvitli the 2 accompanying drawings: shapes of shoes. in which, 1,

I The present invention contemplates the igsil and -2-are top:and bottorn'views provision of a shoe form shaped from a fieX- of a shoe form embodying the invention; 7

" ible sheet material, such as sheet celluloid, Fig,.3,is;a plan view of the, form distorted 170 which is capable of being distorted to conby narrowing the forward. portion of thetoe form to the shape of the interior of the shoev partt'oconform-to a particular, style of shoe, in which it is used and at the same time fill thenor nalshape of the form being indicated out'the shoe in a satisfactory manner. Celin'dottedlines; j I luloid' forms as heretofore constructed have 'Fig. t is a plan, view of the formvdistorted been subject to the same objectionable feaby movementi ofone side-.0f..the form rela; tures as other forms, inasmuch as particular tive to the other side to conform to another care has been exercised to'make the form as styleof shoe, the normal shape of the form rigid as possible. Such forms have been stifbeing indicated indottedlines; and

30 fened by an inturned. flangeextendingaroun'd Fig. 5 is asectionalview taken uponthe li ie l 'V '40 of varying shapes or styles the side portions flanges ll" and 12 extendingfrom the rear the entire bottom edge of the form. Inac- 5 -5 0f Fig. 1. I I I I I I I cordance with the invention, while it is de- I A shoe form illustrating one embodiment sirable to reinforce the form to a certain deof theinventionisshown in the accompany gree, the reinforcement is arranged so as to ing drawings and comprises ashe'et offlexible 7 offer greater resistance to lateral movement, material, such as sheet celluloid, shaped over particularly the rear portion of the form a suitable'lastto'provide aform lO coiiform than movement in other directions of the ing'substa'ntially tothe shape of the interior opposite side portions of the form. Conseof ashoe upper. The'bottom side edges of. v

. quently, when the form is inserted in shoes thejforn 10 are provided with" inturned 'of the form adjust themselves so. as to conthereof forwardly and terminating'respecform to the sole and instep and at the same tiveiy atpoints'a and J). In themanufacture time fill out. the shoe upper. Preferably, the of formsof this general type itis common form is reinforced by a flexible pivotally practice to stretch asuitably softened: sheet mounted cross member near the rear of the ofcelluloid' over the toe of a last so as to form form thereby ofiering greater resistance to an inturned flange around the entire bottom narrowing of the form at its rear than at its edge of the form. In producing the form forward portion. embodying the invention the portion of the Before explaining in detail the present ininturned flange at the forward ortoetip of vention, it is to be understood that the inthe form is cutaway between the points -.a

move one side of said form substantially bodily longitudinally and laterally relative to the other side of the form.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ALFRED G. LEGGE.

wire 15, extending between and connected, as

by rivets 16, to the rear portions of the inturned flanges 11 and 12. Preferably, the

flexible reinforcing member is pivotally connected to opposite sides of the form. For this purpose the ends of the wire 15 are looped around the rivets 16 so as to form a pivotal connection therewith.

By way of illustration some of the advan- V tages of the form of the invention are illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. It will be noted in Fig. 3 that the forward end of the form 10 is distorted a considerably greater extent 7 than the rear portion of the form thereby rendering the form suitable for use in a shoe havinga pointed toe. In Fig. 4 the form 10 is shown with the opposite side portions adjusted relatively so as to bring the portions 0 and d into engagement withthe edge of the instep. of a shoe of different style, the normal relative positions of the parts of the form, particularly the portions 0 and d being indicated in dotted lines. It will be apparent, therefore, that the shoe form of the r invention is reinforced so as to offer less resistance to distortion at the forward portion than at the rear portion of the form as well as a greater resistance to relative lateral movement of opposite sides, particularly the rear portions thereof, than to relative longitudinal'mov'ement. Thus, when the form of the inventionis inserted in a shoe it automatically adjusts itself so as to bring the portions 0 and (Z in engagement with the instep of the shoe and to fill out the shoe upper in a satisfactory manner. It will beapparent, therefore, that by reducing the reinforcement for the forward portion of the form in accordance with the invention, the'form has a universal application by being adapted to confonn to shoes of different shape, whereas forms of this general type as constructed heretofore were adapted for use only in the particular style for which they were made.

I claim: In a shoe form, a toe part composed of flexible sheet celluloid which is reinforced by an inturned flange on the bottom of each side 1 portion thereof only, each of said inturned flanges extending substantially the entire length of said side portions, and a member pivotally connected at its ends to said flanges, the flexibility of the toe tip portion of the form being such that it may be distorted to 

